Rampage return man Martin always a threat

Press Photo/Delbridge Langdon Jr.Grand Rapids' Chris Martin returns a kickoff during a Rampage game earlier this season. Martin leads the AFL with six touchdown returns.

KENTWOOD -- Speed. Strength. Toughness.

All are important attributes Chris Martin of the Grand Rapids Rampage has combined to lead the Arena Football League in kickoff returns this year.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Martin, who also plays defensive back, leads the league with six touchdown returns and 1,612 kickoff return yards.

He scored twice on returns last weekend against the Columbus Destroyers, including a momentum-changing 57-yarder on the opening kickoff of the second half to help lead the Rampage to a thrilling 63-60 win.

"It was huge to come out and start the second half like that," Rampage coach Steve Thonn said. "He's a threat to take it all the way every time."

It's what Martin anticipates all the time.

"I made a couple of moves. I got to the sideline, noticed one of their guys coming up on me, so I just dipped my shoulder to get by him," he said.

"It's my goal, every time I touch the ball, to score."

Martin is a big reason why the Rampage are on the threshold of clinching an American Conference playoff spot in their regular-season finale in a road game against the New Orleans VooDoo on Saturday night.

The Rampage (5-10) will earn their first postseason berth in five years if they defeat the VooDoo or the Los Angeles Avengers fall at Tampa Bay.

Martin ranks first in the league with a 20.7-yard average among players with at least 50 kickoff returns this season. He had eight returns for 189 yards (23.6) and four solo tackles on defense against Columbus to earn Ironman of the Game honors.

Earlier in the season, Martin, 31, set a franchise record with three touchdown returns on kickoffs March 30 against Los Angeles for the team's first home win of the season.

He currently ranks second on the Rampage single-season list for kickoff return yardage, behind Timon Marshall's 1,901 achieved last year.

"He's the best in the league," Rampage special teams coach Paul Reinke said of Martin. "He's got a good feel for the holes in the (coverage) team. He just needs a chance to make a guy miss, and he makes them miss a lot of times.

"He's very, very explosive."

In all, the Rampage lead the AFL with seven kickoff returns for touchdowns. Ahmad Hawkins also has scored on a kick return, while Martin, tied with Marshall for first on the single-season list with six, had another touchdown negated by a holding penalty on a runback earlier in the season.

His finest attribute, though, is his fearless attitude.

"You have everyone on the other team coming down full speed and I'm going full speed. I just try to beat speed with speed," Martin said. "I'm from Brooklyn (N.Y.), so I've got no fear. Never. If I get hit, I go out there and seek out the person who hit me, and I try to run him over the next time."